This book is the first story in a new series by Kaki Warner: RUNAWAY BRIDES. If you have just finished Warner's 1st series, the BLOOD ROSE TRILOGY, read something else before starting this book. Why? This series is SO different from the first; you may not be assessing it on its own merits, but comparing it to the previous books.
This is a wonderful story about a mail-order bride. It shows how desperate these women were -- they chose to move west to marry a man unknown to them. In this book, Edwina Ladoux has lost everything after the Civil War. She was a Southern belle with a lofty standing in the community - and now it is all gone: mansion, rich clothes, endless parties.
She boards a train to Colorado Territory with vouchers from her proxy groom, Declan Brodie - plus her sister, a bright, beautiful mulatto woman named Prudence Lincoln (they share the same father). Pru provides lots of humor in this book; she is also the one who can satisfy Brodie's requirements of a strong person to take care of 4 rambunctious kids.
Edwina can't even cook (another requirement)! Brodie is so dismayed by his new bride that he asks Pru to stay and send her traveling companion back! Pru asks for patience; she will teach her what she needs to know very quickly.
The children are out-of-control - and have been for 4 years! Their mother left with another man 4 years before and they were killed by Indians on their way to San Francisco. The children are fully fleshed-out characters and add much to the humor and pathos of this story.
One of the Indians in the killing party was a renegade named Lone Tree. He holds a serious grudge against Brodie that will play a prominent part in this book.
I don't want to ruin the book for other readers, so I'll stop there. This book is well worth the time; this is my second reading of this trilogy and it is even better than the first reading! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Runaway Brides Series
1. Heartbreak Creek (2011)
2. Colorado Dawn (2012)
3. Bride of the High Country (2012)
This is a wonderful story about a mail-order bride. It shows how desperate these women were -- they chose to move west to marry a man unknown to them. In this book, Edwina Ladoux has lost everything after the Civil War. She was a Southern belle with a lofty standing in the community - and now it is all gone: mansion, rich clothes, endless parties.
She boards a train to Colorado Territory with vouchers from her proxy groom, Declan Brodie - plus her sister, a bright, beautiful mulatto woman named Prudence Lincoln (they share the same father). Pru provides lots of humor in this book; she is also the one who can satisfy Brodie's requirements of a strong person to take care of 4 rambunctious kids.
Edwina can't even cook (another requirement)! Brodie is so dismayed by his new bride that he asks Pru to stay and send her traveling companion back! Pru asks for patience; she will teach her what she needs to know very quickly.
The children are out-of-control - and have been for 4 years! Their mother left with another man 4 years before and they were killed by Indians on their way to San Francisco. The children are fully fleshed-out characters and add much to the humor and pathos of this story.
One of the Indians in the killing party was a renegade named Lone Tree. He holds a serious grudge against Brodie that will play a prominent part in this book.
I don't want to ruin the book for other readers, so I'll stop there. This book is well worth the time; this is my second reading of this trilogy and it is even better than the first reading! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Runaway Brides Series
1. Heartbreak Creek (2011)
2. Colorado Dawn (2012)
3. Bride of the High Country (2012)
